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First Due LMS Course Update Cycle

Introduction

First Due LMS courses are updated on a regular cycle that follows the Product Release Cycle by approximately one month. Understanding this timing helps agencies and personnel plan course completion appropriately, especially because learners who are in progress on a course when a new version is released will need to restart the updated course.

First Due LMS Update Cycle Infographic.png

How the LMS Update Cycle Works

The First Due LMS update process follows the Product Release Cycle.

  • 1st of the month: New features move to Test environments.
  • 15th of the month: Approved features move to Production environments.
  • During the remainder of the month: Documentation is created and updated to reflect the latest product changes.
  • Around the 1st of the following month: LMS courses are updated using the completed documentation.

LMS updates are generally published on either the last business day of the month or the first business day of the new month, whichever is closest to the 1st.

Not every LMS course is updated during every release cycle. Typically, approximately 25–50% of courses receive updates in a given month.

Related Resource

For more information about how First Due features move through Test and Production environments, see the Product Release Cycle article.

What Happens When an LMS Course Is Updated?

First Due LMS courses are self-paced. Most courses are designed to take approximately one hour or less, although they are not officially timed.

You can start a course, close it before finishing, and return later. Your progress is saved so you can resume where you left off.

However, saved progress applies to the current version of the course.

When an updated version of a course is released, anyone who still has the previous version In Progress will need to begin the updated course again.

Completed courses are not affected by an LMS update.

Why Course Timing Matters

Because LMS updates occur around the beginning of each month, starting a course near the end of the month may increase the chance that the course is updated before you finish it.

For example, if you begin a course near the end of the month, leave it In Progress, and that course receives an update during the next LMS release, your progress in the previous version will no longer carry forward. You will need to start the new version from the beginning.

Since most First Due LMS courses are designed to take approximately one hour or less, this should generally result in limited lost progress. However, planning course completion around the LMS update cycle can help avoid unnecessary restarts.

Recommended Approach for Assigned Courses

When assigning First Due LMS courses to personnel, consider assigning courses near the beginning of the month.

Set the expected completion date for before the end of the month whenever possible.

This gives personnel enough time to complete the course before the next LMS update window and reduces the likelihood that an in-progress course will be replaced by a newer version.

Recommended Approach for Self-Enrollment

If you are self-enrolling in First Due LMS courses, try to begin courses earlier in the month and complete them before the next update window.

If you begin a course late in the month, completing it before the end of the month can help prevent having to restart if that course is included in the next LMS update.

Key Takeaway

The easiest way to avoid losing in-progress course progress is to complete First Due LMS courses before the monthly LMS update window.

Because only a portion of courses are updated each month, an in-progress course will not necessarily be affected. However, completing courses within the same month they are started is the best practice when possible.